Day five of Storm training camp

Mar 14, 2016Tampa Bay Storm

The Storm concluded its fifth day of training camp this afternoon, with the team working on getting better in every aspect of the game. With a few days left before the first roster cut down, the receivers took the time to perfect their route running.

“This is an important time for us,” said wide receiver Phillip Barnett. “We need to get our routes perfected. The better and more precise they are, the offense will be that much more improved.”

Precision in route running is key if the team wants to improve the defense. With a shorter field, the receiver has little room for mistake. One misstep and an opportunistic defense will thrive in forcing a turnover. One player who knows this well is rookie receiver Terrence Ebagua.

“We play the indoor game where the field is much smaller,” said Ebagua. “We need to be precise and execute our routes with detail. If we do, it will help us manipulate the defense into giving us what we want, and not the other way around.”

Going up against a defense that has a new philosophy is also benefitting the receivers. One of the team’s offseason priorities was to improve the defense as a whole. The team brought in several veteran defensive backs. Going up against experienced vets helps the receivers in every way.

“The DBs really help improve our game too,” said Ebagua. “They help me learn different ways of running my routes. I may try one move, but the vet already knows what I may do. So I take the opportunity to learn from their moves to help improve my game.”

Tomorrow, the team will work on improving its all-around game. The theme of the day was improvement, and look for that to be the theme throughout camp.

“We just have to get better in everything we do,” said wide receiver Julius Gregory. “The more we work together as a team, the better off we will be in the long run.”

Quote of the Day: “We need to get better each and every day,” said head coach Lawrence Samuels. “Practice, practice, practice. The more effort we put in, the better we will be as a team once the season rolls around.”

Change In The Radio Booth: The Tampa Bay Storm announced earlier today that 9-year NFL veteran and 17-year radio show host Ian Beckles, will join Darek Sharp in the radio booth as the broadcast team’s color commentator. Sharp will now move into the play-by-play role, taking over for longtime announcer, Jack Harris. Harris will continue to have a role with the Storm, acting as the team’ ambassador, providing historical vignettes and emceeing portions of Storm home games throughout the 2016 season.

Player Spotlight: Today’s player spotlight goes to jack linebacker Rick-J Hill. Hill enters his second season with the Storm after making some noise in his rookie year. Hill started in 15-of-15 games before going down with an injury. He finished the season second on the team with 67.5 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 5 pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Since his return, Hill has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s been attacking the offense and has disrupted several plays by forcing turnovers. Look for this to continue as the season progresses. His ability to change a game should fit well within the new defensive philosophy.